June 2018 Dear Families, Reading for enjoyment during the summer is one of life’s little pleasures for most of us. Our wish for your children is that they too, look forward to reading those books that they just didn’t have time for this past school year. We hope to instill in our students a lifelong reading habit of stacking their nightstands and suitcases (or camp packs) and e-readers with books they want to read. When preparing our summer reading lists, our primary goal was to include titles that middle school readers would want to read over the summer. On each of the lists, you will find suggested titles, genres, and authors. All students entering sixth, seventh and eighth grades are expected to read at least three books during the summer. However, there is no expectation that they write a response to what they have read. This will be an assignment they will have when they return to school in September. We do recommend that students use post-it notes or jot down notes in a response notebook as a way to record their thinking about what they have read. The reading levels of the books on these lists may vary quite a bit because our readers also vary. If you feel that a book is not at an appropriate level for your child, please help them choose something else. You may want to choose to read the same books your child reads so that you will be able to have conversations about them throughout the summer. We are hoping that some students will choose to pair-up with friends and read the same book so that they can discuss them together. This summer, Capstone is providing free access to thousands of eBooks that can be used with a laptop or desktop computer or an iPad. These interactive eBooks have supports like text-highlighting and read-aloud audio. To access these eBooks: Go to: www.mycapstonelibrary.com Login: summer18 Password: lovetoread Here is to a wonderful summer awaiting us all…and to all those books waiting on our bedside tables or e-readers! Best wishes, Claudia Ducic, Danielle Egan, Ed Feller Rachael Lief, Denise Rivera, Jill Rosenblum 6th Grade Language and Literature 7th Grade Language and Literature Melissa Gretczko, Michael Pagano, Jill Rosenblum Michelle Kaczmarek 8th Grade Language and Literature K-8 Literacy Coordinator Dobbs Ferry Middle School Suggested Summer Reading for Seventh and Eighth Grade Summer 2018 Students are expected to read any three books this summer, although we hope you will choose to read all summer. Books may be chosen from the suggestions below, but you are not limited to this list. There is no expectation that you write a response to what you have read over the summer. This will be an assignment you will have when you return to school in September. We do recommend that you use post-it notes or jot down notes in a response notebook as a way to record your thinking about what you have read. SHORT STORY COLLECTION Flying Lessons & Other Stories Edited by Ellen Oh In a partnership with We Need Diverse Books, industry giants Kwame Alexander, Soman Chainani, Mat de la Pena, Tim Federle, Grace Lin, Meg Medina, Walter Dean Myers, Tim Tingle, Kelly J. Baptist, and Jacqueline Woodson have written a story collection that is humorous as it is heartfelt. Adventure Pax by Sara Pennypacker Peter is determined to find his pet fox after his father forces him to leave him in the woods as war looms in the background. Dual narrative between Peter and his fox, Pax. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson During the California Gold Rush, Leah’s uncle kills her father and mother to get control of her ability to sense gold. She disguises herself as a boy and runs away with her friend Jeff, heading to California on the Oregon Trail and hoping her uncle doesn’t find her. Other Books in the Series: Like a River Glorious, Into the Bright Unknown The Witchlands Book One: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard First in a new series. On a continent ruled by three empires, everyone is born with a "witchery," a magical skill that sets them apart from others. Now, as the Twenty Year Truce in a centuries long war is about to end, the balance of power-and the failing health of all magic-will fall on the shoulders of a mythical pair called the Cahr Awen. Other Books in the Series: Windwitch Midnight Star (Young Elites Book Three) by Marie Lu Final book in the series. Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all she's gained. Other Books in the Series: The Young Elites, The Rose Society The Double Cross and Other Skills I Learned as a Superspy by Jackson Pearce Twelve year old Hale’s superspy parents don’t come home from a mission and Hale decides he must save them. He may not be the fastest or the fittest spy-in-training, but he might be the smartest! Fantasy Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Set in the same world as the Grisha trilogy, a group of six outcasts take a chance on a deadly heist that will make them rich – if they survive. First book in the series. Other Books in the Series: Crooked Kingdom DC Icons Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo Diana, Princess of the Amazons, journeys to the World of Man in this coming-of age story. Other Books in the series: Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu Renegades by Marissa Meyer The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies – humans with extraordinary abilities – who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard Seventeen year old Mare Barrow’s life is determined by blood color. Red serve the Silver, a genetically gifted group of people with supernatural abilities. After a chance encounter with a prince, she discovers she is Red and Silver, and could be just the spark to start a rebellion against the oppression. Other Books in the Series: The Glass Sword, King’s Cage, War Storm Miles Morales: Spider-Man (A Marvel Novel) by Jason Reynolds Brooklyn Visions Academy student Miles Morales may not always want to be a super hero, but he must come to terms with his identity – and deal with a villainous teacher – as the new Spider Man. Historical Fiction The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel by Deborah Ellis This beautiful graphic novel adaptation of The Breadwinner tell the story of eleven-year-old Parvana who must disguise herself as a boy to support her family during the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan. Graphic novel. Alex & Eliza: A Love Story by Melissa De La Cruz When Alex and Eliza meet one fateful night, so brings an epic love story that would forever change the course of American History. Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk In a small Pennsylvania town during WWII, Anabelle confronts a bully but finds that a troubled WWI veteran is the new target. The Inquisitor’s Tale, or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz In 1242, travelers cross paths at an Inn and begin to tell stories of three children who are said to be able to perform miracles of saints. William, Jacob and Jeanne chase through France trying to save precious holy texts from being burned. They’re taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king and save the land from a farting dragon, accompanied by Jeanne’s greyhound, recently brought back from the dead. Finding the Worm by Mark Goldblatt In this follow-up to Twerp, it’s 1969 and Julian and his friends are 7th graders. After being falsely accused of harming a valued school painting, Julian is assigned a 200 word essay about honor by the principal which he just can’t seem to write. Horror Lockwood & Co. Book One: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud The plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood & Co, a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. Other Books in the Series: The Whispering Skull, The Hollow Boy, The Dagger in the Desk, The Creeping Shadow, The Empty Grave The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox During WWII, to escape the London Blitz, Katherine and her siblings are sent to a crumbling Scottish estate that’s been turned into a boarding house where mysterious things are happening. Guys Read: Terrifying Tales by Jon Scieszka Ten stories by a variety of well known scary story writers. Mystery Need by Joelle Charbonneau Sixteen year old Kaylee and the students at her high school start joining a new social networking site, NEED, where in exchange for completing a task they are rewarded with their desired need. The tasks become more and more malicious. A Study in Charlotte: A Charlotte Holmes Novel by Brittany Cavallaro The great-great-great grandchildren of Holmes and Watson attend the same private boarding school in New England and are framed for murder of another student. Other Books in the Series: The Last of August Take the Key and Lock Her Up (Embassy Row Book Three) by Ally Carter For the past three years, Grace Blakely has been desperate to find out the truth about her mother's murder.